as a thirty year old, I am a bit of a late starter to organised training, but really this is my second life as a sprinter. I have always been quite naturally quick but have never been properly coached. several years ago I was running somewhere in the high 11’s, but since then I have been discouraged by hamstring problems and haven’t done any meaningful training for a few years now.
however, in recent times my skinny legs and tubby tummy have ecouraged me to get active and try something I have never done before. I wandered into my local athletics club and told them I want to run fast. they have been very welcoming, and so far I have enjoyed the challenge. I have one full training session under my belt and a few weeks of weights before that to get me going.
I would like to keep this jornal as a record of where I was when I started, what I’ve done, and where I have progressed to. my frst goal is to break 12s again to prove to myself that I can be as fast as I was as a 25 year old. after that, let’s just wait and see…
last week I started off doing form drills, with a particular focus on getting my knees higher. I did 6x80m run throughs, later followed by another 4. after all that I did some general conditioning circuit work including push ups, lunges, medicine balls drills, etc. finally, I headed back outside and did some hill work.
today I waited around for a bit, only to find that the coach was stuck at work. I did a short session by myself and ran through 4x50, 3x100, 2x150, then did it all again 10 minutes later.
feelig pretty fresh tonight and going back for another go on sunday morning…
I was hoping to hit the track again today, but I was dissuaded by pouring rain and the fact that I stayed up all night watching the world cup final. I did some weights instead. the weights routine that I have been doing for the last few weeks has been designed to ease me into condition and address a few weakspots.
here’s what I did today…
deadlift: 2x10 30kg, 2x5 60kg
bent row: 5x5, 30kg
leg extension: 1x10 40kg, 1x8 50kg, 1x5 60kg, 1x5 70kg
monday is a long day for me. I have a fairly full day of teaching followed by two orchstra rehearsals, and I eventually get home at around 11pm. I am generally feeling pretty weary at this time, so I give myself a fairly light session.
actually feeling a little tight from yesterday, but I’m guessing that’s because I was pretty tired when I started my work out…
I was talking to a guy at the track the other day and he asked me why I was getting into shape. at the time I answered that I was fighting the clock, but later it occurred to me that the real question should have been “why not get into shape??”
I’d rather train with a slight tail-wind, training too much into the wind may alter mechanics. If you’re looking for some added resistance to your sprints, you can pull a light tire or sled for anywhere between 10-30m.
woke up in the middle of the night with a cramp in my calf. it’s still pretty sore, but shouldn’t take too long to recover. the worrying thing for me is that this is the second time it’s happened in the last 6 weeks.
feeling a bit weak today. understandable given that I was up till 4:30am for my brothers 21st party. still, if I’m going to be doing extra training I’m going to have to ease off the long, late nights…
bench: 3x5 40kg
leg extension: 1x10 40kg, 1x8 50kg, 1x6 60kg
single leg extension: 1x5 40kg, 1x4 50kg, 1x3 60kg
was really hoping to hit the track again today, but my calf still hasn’t recovered from that cramp the other night. I can walk easily without discomfort, but I can still feel a bit of tension when I stretch it out.
legs are starting to feel a bit stronger now. I’m planning to get startd on some squats in a week or so. I would also like to be benching a lot heavier than I am, but I injured my wrist a few months ago playing cricket and I can still feel it a bit. I think I’ll stick to 40kg until I am 100% confident that I’m not going to re-injure it…
too much work, not enough play. been feeling a bit tired the last few days, so still keeping it pretty light. calf is nearly 100% again, so I’ll probs hit the track on thursday when I meet my new coach.
speaking of which, I’m not totally sure I actually want to switch coaches. I feel like I get on pretty well with the current one and I’m certainly seeing improvement in my technique since he’s been helping me. I feel as though he still has a lot to offer me…
just a light session this afternoon. testing my calf to see how it has recovered. didn’t feel it while running, but it’s the recovery that counts. fingers crossed that I don’t get another cramp tonight, because that will mean that I have a bt of a problem that I need to solve. perhaps I should sleep with a splint on…
so far so good, my calf has been ok. I will do a few more drills and run throughs tomorrow and give it another test before I shift into the next phase of my weigt training. also, I think I might make a habit of icing my calf after training for the next month or so, just in case…
feeling good today. that few days extra rest during the week has made a real differece. after 5 weeks of this particular weights routine, I think it is time to move into the next phase and start squatting.
found out today that I have actually been running 105m, instead of 100m. I guess that can only b a good thing though, eh??
met up with my new coach today. he took me through a few run throughs to check my technique and he seemed to be pretty happy with it. the one thing he mentioned was that my left arm seemed to be on a funny angle with my elbow slightly up. it didn’t occur to me until later, but I probably do that because of the way I hold the trumpet. anyway, now that I’m aware of it I won’t have any problem adjusting that.
the track was pretty wet today because it rained most of the day. fortunately the track has pretty good drainage, so it wasn’t too muddy, though it was quite soft and splashy in places.
he timed me for my 150’s, and all my times were pretty similar. the middle run of each set was into the wind, and that shows in the slower time the first time around, but that was also because the coach told me to really take it easy and hold back. interestingly enough though, my second into the wind 150 was the fastest time of the set because I forgot to slow myself down.
a little bit of right hamstring tightness, but nothing too worrying, just yet. given my history, I’m quite pleased with how my hamstrings have held up, so far…
I’ve missed the last few training sessions due to illness (just a cold), which is pretty annoying. this sort of thing always seems to happen to me just as I am building some momentum.
I’m wondering how far something like ths is likely to set me back. should I just jump right in where I left off, or do I need to ease up for a few days?
You seriously missed not just one, but several training sessions due to a cold? Really man, I think you need to toughen up a little and just get out there and work.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve blown off a training session, even when I was vomiting or had a fever.
Sorry to bust your chops, but I’m just trying to help. Keep training, and try not to get so easily derailed in the future.
